Peter, Edmund, and the Surprise
by AragornofRedwall
Summary: Edmund has made a promise, but can he keep it?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**_ **This little tale is dedicated to WillowDryad. I'm deeply sorry for being so tardy in writing it.**

* * *

Chapter One

 _ **POV:** Peter_

"But what on earth does he **_do_** down on the beach all day?

I finished stirring my tea and set the spoon down on its saucer.

"I've been wondering that myself, Lu. At first I thought he must be exploring, but it's been two months. There can't be that much left to explore."

It was the beginning of their second year in Narnia, and the Four Pevensies had settled into their home at Cair Paravel quite comfortably. The month was Fairdawn, and Summer was in full bloom. It had taken some getting used to, this practice of beginning the new year in the month of Mayblossom, but the four of them were beginning to catch on. Peter was far more concerned with his youngest sister's upcoming birthday; the 26th of the month was only a week away, and the preparations for the celebration were far from complete.

"Don't worry about a thing," Edmund had said. "Just leave it to me."

That had been a month ago, just after the New Year's celebration. Susan had mentioned Lucy's birthday with so much exhaustion in her voice that Peter had considered volunteering to do the planning himself before Edmund jumped in. Now I was beginning to wonder if that had been a good idea.

" _It's not like Ed to start something and not finish it, especially when he makes a promise. Then again, he is only a kid,"_ I thought.

Aloud I simply said:

"I'm sure we'll all find out soon enough."

Lucy's brow furrowed in a most un-Lucy-like manner.

"I'm worried for him, Peter. You don't think he's been enchanted, or having nightmares, or hiding some awful secret, do you?"

Susan's eyes darted quickly to mine; Lucy's concerns were apparently not just her own.

"He's absolutely fine, Lu, I'm sure of it. He's probably gathering seashells or something."

"Seashells?"

I blinked. I hadn't realized just how weak that explanation sounded until I'd said it.

"I'll speak to him about it tonight."

"You should," said Susan. "Whatever it is he's doing, it's not important enough for him to be missing meals."

* * *

I let the matter rest that night when Edmund came back to our bedroom late. He could always be counted on to sleep later than I did, and I made sure I woke early the next morning in order to catch him before he got away.

" _I needn't have worried,"_ I thought, laughing to myself. " _Whatever it is he's up to, he's thoroughly worn out."_

Through some magic or other, Edmund had contrived to contort himself 'round in the night so that his feet were resting on his pillow, and his head was at the foot of the bed. He'd also twisted and turned so much that he was wrapped up in the sheets to such an extent that he looked rather like a mummy.

"Rise and shine, oh Just one."

I shook him gently, and Edmund mumbled something inaudible in response.

"Come on, Ed, time to get up. I've ordered breakfast in today."

"Mmmh. Leave me be, Pete."

The younger king reached about him for his pillow in order to cover his ears with it. After feeling about for a few moments, he looked up, confused and bleary-eyed, and surveyed his situation.

"How in the devil did I manage that?"

I laughed.

"I've honestly no idea. You couldn't have done awake if you'd been trying."

Edmund tried to get out on one side of the bed, then on the other, but the sheets were so tangled that he couldn't manage it. Finally, he squirmed a bit too far and rolled clean off the bed and into the floor.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his elbow. "That hurt."

I reached down to help him up, the fall having unwrapped the sheets.

"That'll teach you not to play Egyptian in your sleep."

Edmund glared.

"What are you waking me up at the crack of stupid for, anyway? The sun isn't even awake yet!"

"I wanted to be sure to catch you before you dashed off to the beach again. What do you do down there all day?"

Ed rubbed his bleary eyes and brushed a few stray strands of his tousled black hair away from his face.

"I wasn't planning on going down this early; the fish aren't up yet. And what business is it of yours?"

My smile vanished.

"The girls are worried about you, Ed. So am I. Lucy's afraid you're under an enchantment or something. What are you hiding?"

A look of shock passed over my brother's face.

"Golly. I ought to have thought of that. I didn't know I'd worried you, Peter. I'm sorry."

The genuine concern and contrition on his face made me feel better.

"No harm done, Ed. But I would like to know what's going on."

"I've been fishing."

"Fishing?"

"Yes."

I studied the chocolate brown of of his eyes for a few moments. They were calm, steady, and composed.

"Right then. Well, I'll let the girls know. We can both have a bath and you can eat a good breakfast before making off for the beach. Su's worried you aren't eating enough.

Edmund rolled his eyes at that.

"I could eat seven meals a day and Su would be worried I don't eat enough."

* * *

I'd kept an eye on him all that morning. Edmund had stayed at the Cair until after lunch, and then made his way to seaside. He carried with him a handled box that resembled a suitcase. Conspicuously missing on this fishing excursion was fishing tackle. Edmund had neither a rod, nor a net, nor a harpoon, nor anything else a boy might need for a day's fishing.

"Oreius, I'm going to take a stroll down on by the shore. If you don't hear from me by nightfall, send a search-party."

The general raised an eyebrow.

"Do you expect some foul play?"

"I don't know. Edmund has been acting strange lately, and I want to make sure he's alright. It's probably nothing."

"I shall accompany you."

"You needn't do that. No need to send in the troops before we know whether or not they're needed. Besides, what danger could there really be so close to the Cair?"

"Many dangers lurk in the shadows, my King."

"Aye, and if the shadows have caught me before I return, you may come searching for us both with the whole army if you like. Give me 'til nightfall."

Oreius nodded his acceptance, though the look on his face made his disapproval clear.

* * *

I have never been more grateful for large rocks scattered about an otherwise open terrain than I was that day. Edmund seemed to suspect something was up, and kept glancing behind him for the first few tenths of a mile. I stayed back behind the large boulders that dotted the beach -Aslan knows how they got there- and used my spyglass to keep an eye on him. Once he had enough of a lead, I'd dart out from my hiding place and on to the next boulder, treading as quietly as I could for fear of being caught; the only sounds were the waves lapping on the shore and the gulls crying overhead.

This pattern of duck-and-cover went on for a little over an hour. Then, through the lens of my telescope, I saw Edmund glance to his left and right, then disappear behind the side of the cliff opposite the shore. Nearly in a panic, it took everything in me not to call his name. I sprinted to the spot where he had been, and, panting breathlessly, surveyed the surroundings. In front of me, the cliff face rose, craggy and imposing. I began feeling my way along the rock near where he had been. I reached a place where it drove forward a bit, out into the beach and toward the ocean.

" _Come on, Ed. You're no magician. Where've you got to? Hang on, what's that?"_

My hand had reached a place where the rock seemed to be solid, but there was really a small crevice.

" _That's not big enough for him to fit through. Unless-"_

I took hold of the rock on the right side of the fissure and pulled. As smoothly and silently as if it were on well-oiled hinges, the rock slid out toward me; the tiny crack was now a wide-open doorway. With a deep breath, I stepped forward, turned, and backed into the cave, closing the door behind me. Peeking out through the crevice, I could see the beach quite clearly, and the blue sky above it.

" _So much for daylight. I expect Ed must have a lantern in that box of his."_

Turning to face the cave, to my great surprise, I could see quite clearly, despite my eyes having had no time to adjust to the darkness. Along the walls and part of the floor grew some sort of luminescent fungus. Though I couldn't see the roof of the cave, I could see the path ahead as plainly as if I were taking a stroll on a night with a clear moon.

"By gum," I murmured in awe.

Out of the blackness above my head came a small voice.

"Hello, Bygum. Are you looking for King Edmund?"

"Er, yes. Who are you?"

With a flapping sound, a bat dropped down out of the darkness and landed on a rock a couple of feet ahead of me. Peering at me in a near-sighted fashion, he then cocked his head to one side in a puzzled fashion.

"You don't look like a Bygum."

With a flapping of wings, the little creature flew over and landed on my head.

"There are only two yellow-haired humans in Narnia. You must be the High King!"

I couldn't help grinning at that; not much chance of anonymity in Narnia for someone fortunate enough -or unfortunate enough, depending on how secretive one might be- to be blond. I extended my right arm, and the bat landed on it so we could look each other in the face.

"How do you know that, good cousin?"

"The only other yellow-haired human in Queen Lucy, and you don't look much like a Daughter of Eve."

I chuckled at that.

"I should certainly hope not, friend."

"Are you here with King Edmund?"

"I'm here to see him, yes. But where exactly _**is**_ here? Why does he come here?"

The bat looked puzzled again.

"You mean he hasn't told you?"

I shook my head.

"This is where the old monarchs of Narnia used to meet with the kings of the Merfolk. It's been that way since King Frank's time. Or it was, until the Witch began her Winter."

The weight of that washed over me. Was Edmund holding diplomatic talks here?

"How do you know this, good cuz?"

"My family has lived here since King Frank met with the first king of the Merfolk in order to ensure they didn't object to the location upon which Frank had chosen to build Cair Paravel. My family has watched over this place since that meeting. Thankfully, it proved a safe place to hide from the Witch."

"Thank you for the information, cousin. I should go find my brother."

The bat took off to the ceiling again, saying:

"Just follow the path, High King. Lion be with you."

"And also with you," I replied as I started forward.

The passage ahead was fairly wide; two people could have walked side-by-side quite comfortably. About ten minutes' walk from the door, the walls widened out into a massive cavern, almost a sort of natural great hall. The cave was brightly lit, not only by the fungi, but also by a huge beam of daylight which poured down from a hole in the ceiling. Beneath that ray of light was a pool of deep blue water. A few feet from the pool, a throne had been carved into a giant stalagmite. On the throne sat a familiar, raven-haired boy. Following the path forward, I could see as I got closer that he didn't see me because his nose was buried in a huge, ancient-looking tome. I stopped a couple of feet from the throne and cleared my throat.

"Ahem."

"Oh there you are-" Edmund said, as he looked up.

"Peter!" he cried, as our eyes met, nearly leaping from his seat in surprise.

"Hello, Ed. Needed a quiet place to study, did you? What have you been reading?"

With that I stooped and picked up the tome, which my little brother had dropped to the floor in his surprise.

" _Coriakin's Guide to Transmogrification_. Edmund, what on earth-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I heard something rising from the pool behind me. I spun to face it, hand on Rhindon's hilt, but I needn't have bothered. Before me was a mermaid, nearer Edmund's age than mine. Her turquoise hair was long, draped down her chest, falling past her waist, and was dotted in places with seashells. Her eyes were the colour of aquamarine dotted with sea foam. The girl smiled, and in a lilting, silvery voice she asked:

"Have you brought your brother with you this time, King Edmund?"

Remembering my manners, I bowed and replied:

"He certainly has, though he did not know it 'til now. I'm honoured to meet you. Lady?"

"Genevieve."

"Lady Genevieve."

She smiled again and glanced at Edmund.

"He's very graceful for a great lummox."

I glared over my shoulder at Edmund, who merely shrugged in response.

"He has his moments, Jenny."

"Yes, well. What have you been up to, Ed? You certainly aren't fishing."

Jenny raised an eyebrow at that.

"You mean you haven't told him, Edmund?"

"Of course not. He'd have spoilt the surprise."

A tone of frustration entered my voice as I began to lose my patience.

" _ **What**_ surprise? What is going on?"

"Your sister's birthday surprise, King Peter."

I stared at Jenny and blinked. To my right, Edmund just shook his head in exasperation.

"Jenny has agreed to sing at Lucy's birthday party. I remembered how well she loved the Merfolk's singing at our coronation, and I stumbled across this grotto while exploring the beach a few weeks back. I met Genevieve that day and it all seemed perfect."

"But why have you come down here so often? And why are you bringing magic books with you?"

"Ah yes, that. D'you remember the afternoon we'd been trying to teach the Centaurs to play polo?"

I did indeed remember that. It hadn't gone well, and I'd been late to tea because cleaning up the mess had fallen to me.

"Don't remind me."

"Mhm. Not our best idea. Anyway, do you remember how Susan were arguing when you came in to tea?"

"Yes. I assumed she'd said something to you about your not eating enough."

Jenny giggled at that. Edmund cleared his throat and continued.

"Su was angry because I'd suggested holding Lucy's party down on the beach, and wouldn't give up on the idea. She insisted that a Queen of Narnia should have her party in the Royal Banqueting Hall, and followed by dancing in the Grand Ball Room. To do otherwise would be an insult to all the foreign dignitaries in attendance."

"Just like Susan, always playing the diplomat."

"Quite. But Jenny had already agreed to come, and I knew Lucy would love to hear her sing. So I began searching through magic books for a solution."

"Solution?"

"I need legs, High King," Jenny interjected.

"Call me Peter, please, Lady Genevieve."

"If you call me Jenny."

I smiled at her.

"Done. But why do you need legs?"

Edmund spoke up again.

"If I couldn't bring the party to Jenny at the beach, I needed a way to bring her to the party. So we've been going through books of spells together. The only one I've found so far requires the caster to give up his voice for the duration of the spell. I didn't mind, but Jenny objected."

"And quite right too! You should know better than to play with magic you don't know how to control!"

Ed got the stubborn-little-brother look on his face.

"I promised Lucy a wonderful birthday, Peter, and I'm not going to let her down!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Who's the great lummox now, Ed? Tell me, did you ever think of telling Susan why you wanted to have the party on the beach?"

He blinked at me a few times in silence.

"Well, er, that would've-"

"Spoiled the surprise?" Jenny asked rhetorically.

* * *

"You really needn't have chosen the most complicated solution, you know."

Ed glowered at Susan as she smiled sweetly from behind her teacup.

"After you made it clear you wouldn't allow any such thing?"

"If you'd told me why, I wouldn't have told you no."

Ed rolled his eyes and mumbled something unintelligible into his coffee.

"Here she comes. Mum's the word."

The others nodded at me as Lucy came bouncing cheerily through the doorway.

"Why did you all stop talking?" she asked as she spread some jam on her toast.

"Because we're up to something nefarious, Lu."

She giggled at that,her giggling quickly turning into full-blown laughter.

"High King Peter the Nefarious!"

I tried to scowl at her, but that quickly broke into an involuntary grin. Susan and Edmund couldn't help but laugh with her, and truth be told, neither could I.


	2. Chapter 2

_**POV:** Edmund_

The time passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was the 25th of Fairdawn. Preparations were in full swing for the party, and the whole Cair was abuzz and bustling. I had managed to slip away to see Jenny one last time to make sure all was in readiness. Now that Peter and Susan knew where I was going, they were far less tense, and their lack of worry set Lucy at ease. It had not, however, convinced Oreius to leave well alone; two eagles circled in the clear sky above me as I made my way from the Cair to the cave's entrance. I'd brought Coriakin's volume with me so I'd have something to read in case I had a long wait ahead of me, but I needn't have bothered. When I reached the pool I found Jenny waiting for me, her face a mask of anxiety.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh Edmund, I'm so sorry! My papa says a horrid storm is brewing out at sea. It's sure to strike the coast tomorrow afternoon."

"I'm guessing 'the coast' includes Cair Paravel?"

She nodded sadly.

"There's nothing for it, then," I said, opening _Transmogrification_ to the 1,630th page.

"Edmund, you mustn't!"

"I promised Lucy. Besides, it's not only a risk for me. If something goes wrong, you could be hurt as well, or stuck with legs for good."

She blanched at that.

"Not having a voice forever sounds worse than having legs for the rest of my life."

"You're willing to try it, then?"

"As long as you're not the only one taking the risk, yes."

"Lion bless you, Jenny. I owe you a great debt."

"You owe me nothing, Edmund. We haven't done anything yet."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

I looked down at the page, then back to Jenny, who gave a reassuring nod. With a tremble in my voice, I began to read:

"Sun and moon, land and water, each in their place.

Hear me now, Land of Narnia, home to many a race.

By the bright stars, I command you, hear my call.

Grant legs and feet to Jenny, who hath none at all.

I beg you, upon the land let the daughter of the ocean walk.

And ne'er again, 'til the spell be broken, shall I, Edmund, talk!"

A blinding light filled the cavern, and I heard Jenny cry out in pain. I tried to too, as it felt like a hot poker shot through my tongue, mouth, and throat. I managed to set the book down on the stalagmite throne as I fell to my knees, gasping in agony. I brought my hands up to my face to wipe the tears from my eyes. As the pain subsided, I saw Jenny standing in front of me. She wore a dress the colour of the ocean on a clear day, and when she moved it shimmered with greens and aquamarines and the colour of sea foam. She knelt next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Edmund! Oh dear, are you alright?"

I nodded gingerly, half expecting the hot-poker-pain to return. When it did not, I stood up, then pointed to Jenny.

"What? Oh, yes, I'm alright. It doesn't hurt anymore, but I think it will take me a while to get used to these legs."

I offered her my arm, and together we began the journey back to Cair Paravel.

* * *

By the time we reached the Cair the sky was cloudy and grey. Jenny had gotten her land legs and could keep her balance without leaning on me. Indeed, considering how long she'd had legs and feet, she was actually quite graceful; not quite ready for _The Nutcracker_ , but graceful nonetheless. She stopped short and gazed ahead at the Cair.

"Edmund – thank you! It's so beautiful! I'd seen it before, from the Eastern Ocean, but this..."

She grasped my hand.

"This is so lovely. Thank you."

I just smiled and squeezed her hand before leading her onward through the Cair to the small study where we Four had tea every day; it was early enough in the day that Jenny be safely hidden from Lucy, who had an irritating habit of roaming about and trying to find her presents early. I pointed Jenny to the bookcase that lined one wall, smiled, and sat down at the desk Susan had insisted be kept in the room, facing toward the balcony. I quickly scribbled a note to Peter, asking him to bring Susan to the study. After sealing it with Peter's seal, I poked my head out the door and waved at the faun guard who stood on duty at the end of the hall. He marched over and saluted smartly.

"Yes, King Edmund?"

I handed him the note.

"Who am I to deliver it to, Majesty?"

I pointed at the seal. He looked puzzled for a moment before it dawned on him.

"The High King?"

I nodded.

"Right away, my liege."

* * *

I was sitting on the edge of the desk, looking toward the door, as Peter strode into the room about ten minutes later.

"Now, Ed, what is so important that you have to summon me by letter?"

I nodded toward the balcony behind me, where Jenny sat reading a book on wood nymphs. Peter's gaze lighted on her, and his mouth dropped open, his eyes full of fear.

"Edmund, what did you do?"

Jenny looked up from her book and fairly danced across the room, took Peter's hand, and curtsied before him.

"Hello, King Peter! King Edmund cast a spell to give me legs so I could come to the Queen's birthday celebration. Oh, Cair Paravel is so beautiful-"

Peter removed his hand from hers and raised it, palm outward, gesturing for silence.

"Forgive my rudeness, Lady, but I fear I do not understand. The party is to be held on the beach. Why do you need legs to attend?"

Before Jenny could reply, Susan glided into the room. She saw the Mermaid at once, and though no on else could have seen it, I knew that she was slightly uneasy. Smilingly placidly, she enquired:

"Who, pray tell, is your friend, Edmund? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of being introduced."

"This is the Lady Genevieve," Peter said, his voice sounding as if he'd just swallowed a stone.

Now Susan's face made plain her fear and agitation.

" _ **The**_ Lady Genevieve?"

"Aye," Peter replied.

"I see," Susan said icily, as she turned and locked the door. Pointing to our tea table, she addressed Jenny:

"Pray take a seat, Lady Genevieve, and tell us your tale. I pray you, of your courtesy, to leave out no detail."


End file.
